Christmas trees are practically a staple of the holidays in many households. Some families prefer fresh pine trees while others set up artificial trees of a variety of colors. It’s easy to find many tutorials online on crafting small, fancy Christmas trees, but some people take it to the next level.
Some areas of the world are blessed with an abundance of pine trees, simply waiting to be covered in lights and ornaments. Other areas, however, have other “mediums” at their disposal when fir trees are more scarce. For example, a Christmas tree is constructed out of sand in Florida’s Palm Beach. The tree, fittingly, has been dubbed “Sandi.” At 700 tons, extra carvings around the base, and light and music shows, this is certainly one impressive Christmas tree.
In juxtaposition, Gubbio, Italy, has hundreds, if not thousands, of trees on the slope of a mountain festooned in lights. When they are turned on simultaneously, their individual colorings join together to create an image of one gigantic Christmas tree.
A 23-foot tall tree, two tons of resin, and 550 pounds of see-through wax were used to create a visually stunning Christmas tree located in King’s Cross. The beautifully lit tree is seemingly frozen in a huge block of ice. The artist, Alex Chinneck, encased the tree in resin as faux ice and used the wax to create the illusion of the ice melting. A truly stunning spectacle, the resin and wax could fool anyone not looking carefully enough into believing that a tree is thawing out of a chunk of ice before their eyes.
Swarovski, well known in the crystal industry, decided to join in the fun and manufacture their own tree—made primarily out of crystal. Over 2000 crystal beads were used to create a beautiful tree that almost looks like it’s made from ice.
Perhaps not as lavish, but still beautiful in its own way, a 28-foot-tall glass tree stands in Venice, Italy. Each of the 1,000 glass tubes were hand blown. Italy, one of the founding countries of glass art, is the perfect spot for this brightly colored tree.
Why follow the rules of gravity when your Christmas tree could be upside down? Karl Legerfeld, the mastermind behind this artistic tree, did more than simply turn a tree on its head. He added intricate, silver roots to the former base of the tree, topping it with a geometric star. He managed to add the illusion of many icicles hanging from the branches by heavily coating the limbs of the tree in tinsel. Even the tree skirt was purposeful–the white fur resembles a soft mound of snow.
The Christmas season can feel overwhelming and exciting at the same time. With so much to do many find themselves stressed. At the same time, it’s hard to avoid getting caught up in the Christmas spirit with so many brightly colored decorations and twinkling lights. Gary Card wanted to capture that feeling within one Christmas tree. He combined the expected, such as Santa Claus and snowmen, with characters from Alice in Wonderland, like the Cheshire Cat. He used plasticine to sculpt each part around a steel structure, ending with a vibrant, if slightly overwhelming, piece of art that evokes feelings of childhood.
Christmas is one of the few times of the year that allows anyone to decorate their house however extravagantly they desire. For some, that might mean a wreath at the door and a couple Christmas themed hand towels. Others enjoy using lights to coat the exterior of their house like a coat of paint. Still others, like the artists in this article, prefer to stretch their imagination to the limit during this festive season. Any and all Christmas traditions are welcome here, but this year consider trying to find a unique way to bring the Christmas cheer into your house.
Image Credits:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/246220304603822913/
https://matadornetwork.com/read/beautiful-christmas-trees-around-world/
https://www.format.com/magazine/galleries/art/christmas-tree-art-installations
https://organicplantcarellc.com/notable-christmas-trees-from-around-the-world/
https://www.dezeen.com/2017/12/19/10-of-the-most-unusual-christmas-trees-from-2017/
Works Cited:
Timeea. “Top 10 Most Unusual Christmas Trees.” Top Tenz, December 15, 2010, www.toptenz.net/top-10-most-unusual-christmas-trees.php
Sherman, Skye. “9 Famous Christmas Trees Around the World That are Seriously Impressive.” Matador Network, December 3, 2020, matadornetwork.com/read/beautiful-christmas-trees-around-world/.
Macfarlane, Rachel. “7 Artists that Turned Christmas Trees Into Creative Installations.” Format, December 23, 2016, www.format.com/magazine/galleries/art/christmas-tree-art-installations.
Grundmann, Bill. “Notable Christmas Trees from Around the World.” Organic Plant Care LLC, December 14, 2018, organicplantcarellc.com/notable-christmas-trees-from-around-the-world/.
Hitti, Natashah. “10 of the Most Imaginitaive and Unusual Christmas Trees of 2017.” Dezeen, December 19, 2017, www.dezeen.com/2017/12/19/10-of-the-most-unusual-christmas-trees-from-2017/.